A Desire to Dream
by Victoriacat
Summary: She wanted to create; wanted to build the impossible. But that world was far away.


It was raining. Ariadne looked out of the hotel window, staring at the traffic on the street below, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. Her thoughts kept turning to the Fischer job, just hours earlier.

_Gunfire. Rain. Projections. Limbo. _She couldn't think straight.

The airport had been crowded. She had lost sight of everyone quickly.

_It was all over. Just like that. _After all they had been through, it seemed so... unceremonious. But, she guessed, it was safer that way.

The taxi ride had been a blur of memories, and her bishop toppling over and over. _It was raining on the first level. There had been a taxi. _How else was she supposed to make sure everything was real? In some ways, the architect still wanted to be dreaming.

_There's nothing else quite like it. It's just pure creation._

She had entered the hotel, a large structure that reminded her so much of the one she had designed for the inception, and picked up the key to a room Arthur must have booked. _Because he does that kind of thing._ She was so tired, she had just entered the room and collapsed on the bed, milky sheets silky-soft under her. She wanted to sleep. No; _she wanted to dream. _But neither would come- _could come_. So the architect just stared out the window, and let her thoughts consume her.

*ж*

Ariadne had gone back to Paris the next day _(on a flight Arthur had booked, must have booked, that it had been so hard to get on, everything reminding her of the job,)_ and continued college. Everything seemed so boring; so predictable.

_She wanted to create; wanted to build the impossible. _But that world was far away.

That was how she found herself standing outside of Mile's office, _his broom cupboard, _the space that he so rarely occupied. He had stayed with Dom for a while, and helped him settle in, before returning. She wanted to ask him how she could get in contact with someone, _anyone, _that could use her as an architect, because _she wanted to dream, needed to dream. _She found herself wondering if Miles would approve. But it didn't matter, _she had to dream._

*ж*

Miles had been reluctant, but he had seen how desperate the brunette was. So he gave her a number.

"It's Arthur's. He's the one you can trust."

Back in her apartment, she pulled out her phone. Her hand hovered above the buttons of the phone. _She was nervous._ It was silly, really, she had no reason to be. _But what if he refuses? What will I do then? _Pushing her thoughts away, she dialed the number.

"Hello?" His voice sounded the same, deep, reassuring to her.

"It's Ariadne. I..."She couldn't think of anything else to say. "I need to dream."

There was a long pause on the other line. She continued "I just want to..." _Dream. Create the impossible._ But the architect couldn't continue.

"I don't know." He hesitated, "It's not safe yet._"_

"Not safe? Please, Arthur. It's been long enough. Everything from the Fischer job will have died down by now."Actually, she didn't know if that was true, but it didn't matter,_ she didn't care._

He sighed. The point man sounded stressed, as if he had other things on his mind. "Fine. But you have to be careful."

She smiled. "Of course."

"I'll meet you at your apartment soon."

"Soon?"

"There isn't a job for you yet. But there will be."

She wished the point man wouldn't be so cryptic. But he was always that way. "Alright."She smiled to herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."He hung up.

*ж*

There was no word from Arthur that week. Or the next. Or the one after that. Ariadne knew he would come as soon as there was a job for her, _but_ _she was going to go crazy if he didn't come soon, if he didn't come _now.

Her dreams were made up of fragmented memories, and things she had no memory of as well. Her bishop was toppled over and over, its soft sound always bringing her back to real life, because it was becoming harder for her to discern reality and dreams.

She had nearly lost it when Arthur finally came.

*ж*

If Arthur had realized how bad she was, he would have come earlier. When he opened the door to Ariadne's apartment, he was met by the sight of a disheveled-looking girl. She was sleep deprived, her hair was sticking out everywhere, and her clothes were rumpled as if she had been wearing them for days. She was also thinner, from what must have been lack of food. She looked like she might collapse at any moment; as though the slightest breath of wind would topple her. _Like her bishop._

She seemed dumbstruck that he was finally there, so he let himself in, gently pushing past her. In a daze, it seemed, she closed the door and turned around to face him.

The point man couldn't help himself anymore. "Ariadne, what happened?"

Her eyes shifted from him to the floor. He could tell she didn't want to answer. "I don't know. Dreams... Reality isn't enough anymore."

"Ariadne, you can't let this happen. Dreaming again won't fix anything."

"Yes it will!"She shouted. "I need to dream! I... I can't do this anymore."She seemed to deflate, and he could see the young woman withdraw into herself.

"You're becoming Mal."He whispered. He needed her to understand, but she was making this so hard on herself.

Ariadne looked up, struck. "No... No. I'm not. She was different_."_

"No, Ariadne. You want dreaming to become your reality. That's what happened to her. You know this."He gave a strangled sigh."Please."

She couldn't say anything, couldn't meet his eyes.

"You're strong, Ariadne. Please."

Then she was sobbing, like she hadn't done since she was a child. He held her in his arms, saying nothing. There wasn't anything to say.

After a while, she managed to compose herself. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let that happen to me."

"No, don't be. Someone from the team should have checked up on you. This was too big a burden to bear for anyone, especially someone who is as inexperienced as you. This wasn't your fault." He paused, locking eyes with her. "You should get some rest. You need it."

"I can't sleep. I haven't been able to for a long time."

He gave a humorless laugh. "I noticed. But try again. I'll stay here, if you wish."

"I would like that."

"Then get some sleep."

And, for the first time in so long, Ariadne did.

*ж*

The architect woke to the soft light of morning streaming through the window above her, lighting the room with its gentle glow. Arthur was asleep in a chair close to the bed she occupied. His suit was still immaculate, his hair still gelled back. She smiled to herself. _He always seems so perfect. _

She hadn't made any noise she was aware of, but suddenly his eyes were open, and he was smiling at her. "Feeling any better?" He asked.

"A lot, thanks."She stretched. Ariadne felt better than she had since the inception.

"About that job,"Arthur started. "The offer is still open, if you think you can handle it."

She wasn't sure, not after how she had acted the previous night. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think you will be fine. You'll have to take it slow for a while, get used to dreaming again."

She found herself smiling. "Alright."

Arthur glanced at his watch. "I have to go."He handed her a slip of paper. "See you soon_._"Gently, he pressed his lips against hers. They were slightly calloused, but soft and warm. He tasted like everything she had forgotten, everything that had seemed so unimportant since the inception. Gently, he pulled away.

She opened her mouth, trying to think of something else to say, but suddenly the point man had left the room, and the door of her apartment could be heard opening, then closing softly. She glanced of the piece of paper in her hand. On it was a date, a time, and a place. The architect smiled. _She could dream again. _

_*_ж_*_

_Review?_


End file.
